Lens-grinding machine



April 12 1927. E. P. DEVINE LENS GRINDIG MACHINE 2 sheets-'sheet 1 rv .M4 .4 2 9 l 7. e n u J d e l .l F

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1,624,658- Apnl 12,1927. E P DEVINE LENS GRINDING MACHINE Filed June '7, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l u w INVENToR.

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PatentedA Apr. 12, 192,7. l i

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. EDWARD P. DEvrNE, orA INDIAN-Arrsiiirgrli, AssxGNoE, EY MEsNE ASSIGN- MENTS, To CONTINENTAL OPTICAL coEPoEATIoN,oE NEW YORK, N. Y., A ooR- :PoEATIoN or DELAWARE.V

LENS-GEINDING Application filed .Tune 7, 1924. Serial No. 718,471.y

The object of this invention is to imand gauge rod shown in Fig. 4,'on an en-' prove means for the adjustment of the lens larged scale to show the registration lines. holding mechanism in machines of the type Fig; 6 is a side elevation of what appears 55 shown in the application of Lucian W. Bugin Fig. @with the parts in position to dey bee, filed July 23,1923, Serial No. 653,367 termine the proper'radius of oscillation of f, for a machine for generating toi-ic surfaces the lens holder means. Fig. 7 is a plan View on lenses. l of 4the-gauge tube and gauge. rod at the .The chief feature of my improvement in right-hand end of Fig. 6, shown on an en- GU sald adjusting means is a yielding removable larged scale. Fig. 8 is Athe vsame as Fig. 6"

l" gauge adjustable in the spindle of the lens with the gauge bar removed and the grinder holdmg means. It cooperates with the head partially shown in side elevation and parof a radius gauge bar for the preliminary tially broken away. Fig. 9 is a side elevasetting of the lens holding means at the tion of what is shown in Fig. 6 after the 65 center of its oscillation or radial center, gauge tube and gauge rod have been removed l5 and in setting said mechanism in position from the lens holder spindle and the lens with reference to 'such grinder, said gauge holder has been secured to the spindle. Fig. rod safeguards and does -not injure the pe- 10 is 'the same as Fig. 9 after the gauge ripheral grinding surface of the grinder or bar is removed and showing the grinder as 70 injure, spring or dislocate the gauge bar. in Fig. 8 in position to grind the lens, dif- Heretofore, it has been required to have tisferent positions of the lens holder being sue paper or other safeguarding means beindicated by dotted lines. Fig.11 is a vertween the grinding surface of the grinder tical section on'the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

and said setting or adjusting means. With On the machine herein shown there is a 75 lthis invention, grinder protective means rectangular frame lOsupported. by means outside of the apparatus is rendered unnecesnot shown which carries a rotary grinding sary. wheel 11 on the shaft 12 mounted in a bear- Another feature of the invention iS the ing 13`and there is a pulley ,14 on the shaft provision of a gauge tube longitudinally 12- 'for driving the wheel and a belt 15 from sir adjustable in the lens holdingr spindle and a source of power for ldriving the pulley. a yieldingly mounted. gauge bar vin said The remain'ng mechanism shown herein is j tube, and indicating lines for adjusting one for mount-ing and adjusting the lens holding with reference to the other so as to facilitate and operating means. There is a carriage the adjustment of the' lens holder vwith refplate 24 slidable. towards and from A the 85 crence. to the grinder. grinder. lt slides on the guide bars 1G and The full nature of the invention will b is horizontally adjustable by a feed screw understood from the accompanying draw- 17 operated by a hand wheel 18. The feedings and the following description and ing movementof the carriage is stopped by a claims: Y stop bolt.19 held by a block 20 adjustable on 90 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View the frame 10, as seen in Fig. 1, and set by a 40 of the main portion of the total machine, a screw 21. 'lhe stopscrew 19 is engaged by part being broken away. .F ig. 2 is a side a stop block 22 secured on the edge of the elevation of the upper part of the machine, carriage 23. This stop means is for .the as shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a -plan View purpose ofrpreventing the carriage 24 being 95 of the scale bar used -in determining the fed sofar to the left as to cause the grinder proper radial adjustment of the lens holder. to be injured by the gauging means or lens Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through holder while adjustlng the machine, prepara-A the lens holder and 'associated parts and a. tory t0 grinding a lens. The carriage is vside elevation of said gauge bar and showing held in xed position by a set screw 23 100 the parts after the gauge bar has been apwhich extends through to the guide balk- 16,

` plied, but before the mechanism has been as shown in Fig. 11.

operated for adjustment. Fig. 5 is` a plan 0n the carriage 24 there is a housing 25 View of the right-hand endof the gauge tube transversely thereof, as seen 1n Fig. 1,y in' l from a housing 28 for the lens holding spindle 29,' as' shown in Fig. vl, and the shaft 26 is held in place by thecollars 30. llVhen the lens holding mechanism is horizontal, it and -shaft 26 may be locked against rotation by a' latch 3l slidably mounted in the shaft housing 25,Which is moved by a finger piece 32 thereon. The latch 31 is slidable in a slot in housing 25 and is adapted to enter a notchI 33 in thehoiising 28 for the lens holding spindle.

The lens holding spindle 29 is longitudinally adjustable in the 'housing 28, which housing is split at 34, as seen in Fig. 2, and

the spindle may be clamped in said housing against longitudinal movement by a clamp 135. When the spindle is free to move in the housing, it is moved longitudinally by a rack 35 on the underside of the sp'ndle 29 and extending through the 'housing and meshing with a gear 36, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2f, on a bolt that is turned, by a finger knob 37. v

The spindle 29, as .shown Iin Fig. 10, is recessed at 38 in its end to receive a lens block 39 on which a lens 4() may be secured for grinding; and the lens block 39 is held in positon by a screw rod 41 `which extends loosely through a tubular opening 42 longitudinally through the spindle'29 and which is tightened by a nut 43 at the other end.

The foregoing mechanism constitutes the` machine for grinding toric lenses. lVhen the parts arev adjusted and being operated, the lens is moved'to and against the grinder by oscillating the lens holding means vertically, as seen in Fig. 10. (The means for adjusting the lens holding means and method -ot' using the saine will now be explained:

liar 50` as seen in Figs.

'lheie is a gauge a. longitudinal portion 3 and 4. which has y that is insert-able between the bar holding va lug plate 51, see Fig. 8, on the housing 28, and 52 thatfhas a set screw 53 in it in position to clamp the bar 5() in adjusted position. The plate 51 has an overhanging lip 54 which prevents vertical escape of the bar 50. Said gauge bar has a head 55 which foradjusting purposes takes the place of the grinder 11. The bar is longitudinally holding means 'just de- 155 of the head 55 will correspond with the central pait of the grinding surface of the periphery of the grinder, as seen in Figs. 6 and 8.

The grinding radius means and also thepositionat which the carriage should be set to fix the fulcrum or center of said oscillation is determined by means of a millimeter scale 56 on top of of the lens holding the bar, which is seen in Fig. 3, on'whieh there is a setting slide 57 adjustable so that the left-hand face lthereof next to the head of the gauge bar will be ata distance from the face 155 of the gauge bar, which is equal to the radius of curvature desired to be generated on the lens. Then the gauge bar is moved from the position shoivn in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 6, wherein the setting slide 57 abuts against the housing 28. The

thickness of the setting slide 57 is exactly' equal to the distance between the left-hand face of the housing 28and the center point 58 of oscillation of the lens holding mechansin, said center of oscillation being the sov axis vof the shaft 26 and shown by dotted i lines in Fig.. 6. The foregoing adjustment properly locates the head ofthe gauge bar tor the next step inthe process of adjustnient.

The next step in the process of adjustment of the lens holding .mechanism is to properly locate the lens holding spindle 29 in its housing 28 so it will present the lens' to the grinder. F or this purpose, the tubular spindle 29 hasin it a compound gauging means consisting of a gauge tube 60 longitudinally slidable in the central opening through the spindle, a'slseen in Fig. 4`,

and' being held therein when adjusted by a screw 61. Within the gauge tube 60 there is a'gauge rod62 longitudinally adjustable and yieldingly forced towards the head 55 of the gauge bar 50 by a spring 63 lying between the right-hand end of the rod' 62 and a screw 64 in the end of the tube 60. lThis screw 64 enables `the tension of the spring 63 to be adjusted. The gauge rod 62 has on its right-hand end a gauge linev 65 and lying under a out 66 in the tube 60, as seen 1n Fig. 5,*and said cut 66 of tube 60 has a gauge line 67. At the end of the gauge rod 62. adjacent the head 55 of the gauge head 5U, there is a rougided end 68 to provide a delicate means for' engaging the grinding surface of the grinder during the adjustment so a not to injure the same and that also is the-.purpose of the yielding spring 63, The'ileft-hand movement of the rod 62 under the influence of the spring 63is limited by a stop 69 in the tube 60, see the righthand end of Fig. 4. That does not permit the rod to extend further to the left in tube 60 than is shown in Fig. 4, but permits it to move to the right.

In making the adjustments illustrated in Figs. 4, 6 and 9, the housing 28 and associated mechanism is oscillated preferably to the upper dotted position indicated in Fig. 10, so that the lens holding mea-ns will be out of the way of the grinder.

lThe operation and use ofthe 'adjusting means is as follows: To set the gauge so as to provide for a predetermined grinding radius, the lens holding means 1s tilted to llo iis

the upper dotted line position in Fig. 10 and the gauge put in place as in Fig. 6 and above described.

. Then the gauge rod and tube are placed Iin the lens holder and clamped therein by the screw 61 and preferably leftin a position such that the line 67on the cut-away portion of the tube 60 will extend to the right of the line 65. on the rod 62, as seen in Fig. 5, so that the said parts will be visible while the adjustment is being made for setting the gauge rod and indicating the gauge radius for oscillating the lens holder.- Then by turning the nut 37 the lens holder is moved with the gauge rod from the position shown in Fig, 4 to the position shown in Fig, 6. The'clamp 135 then clamps the lens holder in said position with the lines 65 and 67 in registration.

'Although the registering lines 65 and 67 and cut out portions 66, as described, are desirable, they are not necessary, as the gauge'bar 50 can be reset from the position shown in Fig.4 4to that shown inFig. 6 with the adjusting stop 57 against the housing 28, and'thereafter the tube 60 and rod 62 moved to the left until the point touches the head 55 of the gauge bar and then the set screw 61 tightened to hold the tube 60 in place in the Spindler Then the carriage can be moved to the right so as to withdraw the end of the rod 62 from engagement withA the head 55 of the carriage bar and the latter can be removed. Y

-Then the gauge bar 50 is removed and the lens holding means turned to a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 8. and then the.d

carriage 24 is moved up until the end 68 of the gauge rod 62 touches the center of the grinder. as seen in F 1g, 8. Sald'grlndmg -tace will not be injured by such operation because of the yielding mounting of the rod `62. above described. Then the carriage 24 is set by tightening the nut 23. The foregoing adjustments set the carriage permanentlv Jr'or maintaining the desired radius of oscillation of the lens holding means.

To setvthe lens properly on the lens holding means so as to be at the correct distance from the center or ulcrum of the holder in order to grind the correct curvature, is the' nentI step in themperation. To aecom- .plish this, the lens holding mechanism is turned up again to an inclined position, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 10, away from the grinder. `The gauge tube 60 and gauge rod 62 are withdrawn from the spindle and the lens 40 is placed on the lens block 39 and secured in the socket 38 of the spind'e 29 and is held in such posit-ion b the rod 41 .when the nut 43 -is tightene as seen in Fig. 9. Then the rectangular gauge bar 50 is replaced, but before it is replaced, the slide 57 is reset to the right of its former position to make allowance for the thickness of the lens or glass to be ground away, say

two Y1n. In. Then the gauge bar 50 is moved to the right, as in Fig. 9, until the setting slide 57 -abuts against the housing 28. That will make the distance between the fulcrum of the 'lens holding mechanism andthe grinding face of the grinding wheel equal to the desired grinding radius or radius of oscil ation of the lens holding means plus the thickness .of the glass to be ground away. It is to be noted that the width ot' the setting slide 5 7 is always'equal to the distance between the fulcrum 58 of thc lens holding mechanism and the adjacent face ot' the housing 28, see Figs. 6 and Hence. the 'left-hand face of the setting slide 57 is in exact alignment with the center or fulcrum of the lens holding mechanism. Then the spindle 29' is moved by the finger nut- 37 to bring the outer face'of the lens against the inner face 155 of the head 55 of the gauge bar 50, as seen in Fig. 9, whereupon the spindle 29 is clamped in"i`ts housing by operating the clamp 35. The gauge bar 50v 1s then' removed and this competes the adjustment of the lens holding means for the desired grinding radius and so that when the lens is ground, the ground surface will be at the predetermined radial distance from the center of oscillation 58'and will have the desired. curvature.

In operating the machine herein shown, the grinder is rotated and thev lens holding means'. is oscillated by hand, as shown in Fig. 10, so as toY move the lens into engagement with the grinder and hold it in such engagement. The lens holding mechanism is oscil`ated by the handle 27 at the end of the shaft 26, see Fig. 2.d In the machine herein shown, this causes the grinder to determine the meridional` curvature ot' the lens and the lens holding means to determine thel equatorial curvature thereof'.

lfVhile the machine herein shown is for generating torio lenses,'the invention is not other lenses, as the parti c ular invention here- 1n relates to the means in the spindle for aiding in adjusting and predetermining the position of the gauge and, therefore, the center of oscillation of the lens holding means for obtaining the desired grinding radius and ultimate curvature of the lens' ifi one` meridian.

The invention claimed is:"

1. In a lens grinding machine, the combination .with a grinding wheel, and means for loo -thus limitcdfas it can be used for grinding engage the grinding wheel, a stop on said tube for limiting the outward movement of the gauge rod againstthe action of the spring, and means on said tube and gauge rod for indicating the proper position of the ro:l in the tube.

2. In a lens grinding machine, the combination with a grinding wheel, and means for holding a lens adjustable towards and from the grinding wheel, of a removable tube longitudinally adjustable in the lens holding means towards and from the grlnding wheel` means for securing it to the lens holding means, a gauge rod loosely mounted in said tube, a spring in said tube tending to force the gauge rod outward so its end'v will engage the grinding wheel, a stop on said tube for limiting the outward movement of the gauge rod, said tube being cut away at one point to disclose the rod. and indicating means on the cnt, portion of the tube and adjacent portion ot the rod for indicating, when in registry, the proper position of the tube and rod.

3. In a lens grinding machine, the combination with a grinding wheel, oscillatable means adjustable towards and from the grinding wheel for holding the lens in prop.- er position for treatment by said grinding wheel, a lens holder, and a gauge bar slidably mounted on said lens holding means having a head adapted to be held in front et' the lens holder so the gauge bar will indicate the desired radius ot oscillation of the lensA holder between the fulcrum thereof and the head on said gauge bar, of a gauge rod mounted interchangeably and coaxially with said lens holder and yieldingly mounted in association with said lens holding means and projecting beyond the same to engage the head on said gauge bar, and means for securing said gauge rod to the l lens 'holding means when the gauge rod is adjusted to the head otsaid gauge bar so that when the gauge bar is removed the lens holding means may be moved up to the grinding wheel to a position determined by engagementof said rod with the grinding wheel so that when the lens holder is substituted for said gauge bar the desired curvature may be ground on the lens by oscillation of the lens holding means,

the lens holding means between the ful-I crum thereof and the head on said gauge bar, of a removable tube interchangeable with the'lens holder and coaxially and longitudinally adjustable in the lens holding means towards and from the grinding Wheel` a yieldingly mounted gauge rod in said 'tube and extending beyond the tube and lens holding means, and means `for securing the head of said gauge rod so that when the gauge bar is removed the lens holding means may be moved up to bring the end of the gauge rod into engagement with the grinding wheel and determine the position of the center of oscillation so as to cause tlie'desired curvature to be ground on the lens.

5. ln a lens grinding machine, the conibination with a grinding Wheel, oscillatable means for holding the lens in proper positio-n for treatment by said grinding wheel, and a gauge bar slidably mounted on said lens holding means towards and from the grinding wheel and having a head adapted to be held beyond the end of the lens holding means for indicating the desired radius` ot' oscillation of the lens holding means between the fulcrum thereof and the head on said gauge bar, of a removable tube interchangeable with the lens holder and coaxially and longitudinally adjustable in the lens holding means towards and from the grinding wheel, and a yieldingly mounted gauge rod in said tube and extending be.- yond the end of the tube and lens holding means, said tube and rod being provided with indicating lines for indicating the proper positions of the two Withreference to each other when the rod is extended tothe' head of the gauge bar. v

In witness whereof, I have hereunto atfixed my signature. r

EDWARD P. DEVINE. 

